Oh yes! I have made my share of mistakes and so has everyone else, but everyone on here is so helpful. Most only get harsh if your are mistreating your pets and not willing to try to help them. I had a few nearly run me off when I goofed up with my babies, but I'm glad I stayed. They have all helped me out more than once and advised me on things before I did them to make sure I prevented mistakes (which I am sure I would have made PLENTY of if I had just googled stuff instead of ask these guys).

Wow! That's some warm water! Almost too warm! If we would have known that, we wouldn't have been bugging you about the heater. Thank's for letting us know.

I have read both threads. I must say- I am glad you came to the realization that you need to make some changes. You are in Singapore, so you can probably find a few people really into betta keeping and/or expertise. They might offer medicine, knowledge or spare tanks. It costs you nothing to do the research to find these people.

So your tank - is it like this - http://www.adgshop.com/30cm_Cube_Garden_p/102-870.htm 7.5 gallons approximately. This would be fine for the 2 female bettas (though there would be fighting with less than 4 females).
Craft stores, dollar stores, markets - anyone selling buckets and tanks and bowls would benefit you at this point. Since you don't need heaters for all of them (since your house temp is already pretty warm) this will be fine to start medicating all the fish. I don't remember which other fish are in there but how many of each type? Oto's and cories and what else?

You might want to tread carefully around the whole waiting for them to die thing. Most members here might disagree that it is a good idea since you are stepping around the fact that you have an over population problem now which has caused some serious disease. Most people here are for the medication path: medicate and treat the fish you have now and wish for them to live their natural lifespans. For a betta, that is up to 5-7 years. I don't know about the other fish you have.

I'm glad you came with an open mind though- it's great you are willing to change some things about fish keeping. Keeping a cycled tank with the appropriate amount of fish is a very rewarding and relaxing hobby. I keep my 5g tank on my desk so when I'm working on school work I can look over at them and interact with them. I have my tank set up so it's pleasing to see, colors are complimentary to my fish's so it's still decorative and they have a suitable environment to thrive. You can do this too. IT will just take a bit of doing.

And you want horror stories? One of my tanks when I was a kid was made with those big blue water jugs people have in offices. The top was sawed off and I kept about 4 or 5 goldfish in it. My res turtled lived in a small stainless steel baking bowl for close to a year. My old 5 gallon tank had 3 gourami's, 2 cory doras, 2 rosy barbs, a male betta and at one point for a small period a dwarf puffer fish.

It took courage for the OP to make this post. I hate it when people cannot admit mistakes. I was clueless about betta care until I found this forum. Now thanks to members here im pretty confident that my betta get good care. The problem for me now is trying to shut when while shopping at the lfs. They dont appreciate me telling them that their bowls are full of ammonia, betta require heaters in Canada, and that tiny little plastic no filter half gallon he is selling a 6 yr old kid will require daily water changes. I try to be nice about it but feel the urge to educate lfs staff about the myths taht the industry carries on with in the betta department. Some lfs have improved others just go "oh No" its him again".

I don't remember which other fish are in there but how many of each type? Oto's and cories and what else?

the picture could not load, but if it's a 30cm cube tank it should be the one.

i have 1 balloon lamp eye fish, 1 black phantom tetra, about 4 cories. i think i only have 2 oto's left but i use to have more and 1 male betta.

that's the current stock in my tank since putting down my half headed girl and giving away my last one who suddenly had a big problem moments ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by logisticsguy

It took courage for the OP to make this post. I hate it when people cannot admit mistakes. I was clueless about betta care until I found this forum. Now thanks to members here im pretty confident that my betta get good care. The problem for me now is trying to shut when while shopping at the lfs. They dont appreciate me telling them that their bowls are full of ammonia, betta require heaters in Canada, and that tiny little plastic no filter half gallon he is selling a 6 yr old kid will require daily water changes. I try to be nice about it but feel the urge to educate lfs staff about the myths taht the industry carries on with in the betta department. Some lfs have improved others just go "oh No" its him again".

i believe we have many many people here where i live who don't know Betta's need at least 2 gallons. heck even i didn't know at all! i use to keep all my fish in a small rectangular tank that's 3 times smaller then my current one. note that i use to have at least 5 females, 3 cories and 2 otos in that small tank before i switched to my aunts 30cm cube one because i felt they needed more space. they sell "specialized" betta tanks here which i think are still too small.
before i came here, my logic was, as long as your fish don't start dropping like flies after adding new ones, the amount of fish in your tank is okay.
never knew that you actually needed 2 gallons for 1 betta

Shepaski, as others have said, do not beat yourself up too much about your lack of knowledge and education. If you simply went by the Pet shop's instruction then a betta would be fine in a small unfiltered, unheated, probably highly cholorinated bowl. They are considered an 'easy' fish and there are plenty of cool, contemporary bowls that make them just an accessory for your room. i.e. : http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

The 'buying perks' make Bettas very alluring and so does the fact that they are very hearty fish. But as you probably know, just because they can survive doesn't mean they will enjoy. There is a big stigma on these fish--whether you're an expert on Aquarium fish or not. As a general rule, salt water or larger fresh water fish are considered to take quite a bit more work. They come in plastic bags and are somehow considered to be more fragile. Bettas, in contrast, are very pleasing to the eye, come pre-packaged in a bowl, and have aquariums/food directly under them. It seems to be an easy one-stop shop for any person. But it's not.

Like you, when I first started with a filtered, no heated tank and I honestly did not perform weekly water changes, nor did I give a variety of food. It was only in the past 2 years that I become very aware of my fishes needs and was proactive about providing them. I researched like crazy and referred to this site numerous times (before I joined it) because it seems to be the only authority on Bettas. I am happy that you are choosing to learn more now and I hope that you will do better in the future once you learn about proper care. Give yourself some credit because most people will not even bother looking on ways to improve their betta's life.

This forum is an excellent place to gather information on fish keeping. I knew months ago that bettas liked more space, so I bought my fish a 2 gallon tank to replace his tiny glass bowl. I did not know they needed regular water changes or a heater, and so I just cleaned out the tank (100%) whenever the algae got so bad that I could no longer see my fish. Despite the fact that these fish were living in terrible conditions, most of my previous bettas lived 2+ years! My late male betta, Scully, had the worst case of fin/body rot I had ever seen and that is what really opened my eyes and brought me to this forum. Now I know that they need warm, clean water, and I can definitely see the difference. My current fish are more active, more colorful, and generally happier than my previous fish. The satisfaction from this was so great that since November I have accumulated a grand total of 13 bettas! It's very rewarding once you get it right, the happier the fish the more entertainment you get out of watching them and that's the whole point of having a fish tank!

So glad you are now doing your research and trying to keep your fish happy, it's totally worth it!

Very glad you are interested in taking care of your fish! We all make mistakes and we all regret things but the good thing is you want to take care of them properly! I admit I have screwed up SO many times with my Bettas! One time one of my fish had fin rot and it was treating him for it and i had him in my hospital tank and brought it with me to the room were i keep my fish medicines but set it down to check something outside for a minute and I just HAD to leave the topless tank next the the cat food on the dryer! and wile I was outside the cat terrorized him and he died! I was so mad at myself for being so stupid! But this forum has helped me grow in my knowledge and love for fish and I hope you find it as helpful as I did!